The present disclosure relates to a developing device which is removably fitted to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer or a facsimile machine and to an image forming apparatus which includes such a developing device.
An image forming apparatus which uses an electrophotographic process includes a developing device which develops an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum into a toner image. In a conventional image forming apparatus, since it may be necessary to provide maintenance and replacement to a developing device, the developing device is generally removable with respect to the main body of the image forming apparatus.
On the other hand, when toner is supplied from the developing device to the photosensitive drum, part of the toner may be scattered to leak from an opening portion of the developing device opposite the photosensitive drum, and thus the interior of the image forming apparatus may be contaminated. Hence, a configuration is proposed in which a duct is coupled to the developing device and in which the toner scattered in the vicinity of the opening portion of the developing device is collected with a suction device.
For example, a developing device is known which includes a developer regulation member that regulates the amount of developer on a developer carrying member and a scattering prevention member that is arranged so as to cover the developer passed through the developer regulation member, in which a recovery hole for recovering paper dust and floating toner is provided in the scattering prevention member and in which a fan for sucking air on the side of the developer carrying member through the recovery hole is also provided.
A scattering dust suction device is known that includes: a suction duct which has a plurality of suction ports and a plurality of air flow paths that individually communicate with the suction ports and that air flows for suction are independently passed through and in which the air flow paths are provided so as to prevent a normal vector to the suction port from being parallel to the direction of movement of the air flow within the air flow path; and a forced air flow generation device which is coupled to the individual air flow paths to forcefully generate air flows in the air flow paths. The scattering dust suction device sucks toner floating between an image carrying member and a developing device.